Our Itinerary (not fixed)

It has been many weeks since my last post. Hoping to make up for it with some good information in this update! We have a confirmed itinerary and I am going to try to include links to most of the places we are staying.  Our first night, we arrive very late and will be taking a shuttle to a hotel in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador.  The staff at the Las Mercedes Hotel arranged for a driver to meet us at the airport with a sign! See link below. The shuttle is $7 and the night at the hotel is $33 plus tax. This includes breakfast the next morning!

http://www.lasmercedeshotel.com/

On the morning of the 13th, we will be taking a taxi to the bus station and boarding the bus listed below:

TRANS ESMERALDAS – ATACAMES - 9:10

(Terminal Terrestre de Carcelen)

This bus will take us to Atacames, which is about 15 kilometres from Same.  We will get another taxi to take us directly to our first coastal stop at the Villa Ana (no website) in Same. My husband found this hostel on Booking.com. The host has answered all of our inquiries. Cost for our stay there is only $117.00 for three nights. This is in the home of local ex-pat, who has two suites that he rents out to tourists. We will have cooking facilities in our room.  The Villa is located one block from the beach! We are planning to explore the northern coast from this nexus.

To get to our next stop, we will be using the very popular local bus system to travel further down the coast to Canoa. We are planning to stay there for two nights at a cost of $130, including breakfast. Canoa is a more popular tourist destination, so cost is a bit higher.  We might try some surfing, or paragliding. We are also looking at property in the area to get ideas for our next trip! See link to hotel below:

http://hosteriacanoa.com/

On the 18th of January, we will travel by bus from Canoa to San Jacinto (about 55 km).  In San Jacinto, we will be staying in a more upscale hotel for two nights at $120 including breakfast. The hosts are willing to show visitors around the area, and have been very good to reply to our inquiries.  See link below:

http://www.williamsandfranks.com/

                        

On the 20th, we will move on to Puerto Lopez. So far, this is my favourite area of the coast, but it doesn't mean much, since I have not seen any of it in person!  This town has a thriving fishing industry, a local mercado, diving and scuba, nature reserves, and more. This is also a centre for humpback whale watching in the migration season (from early June to late September).

Our final stop along the coast will be in Salinas.  Salinas is a resort town, with dry climate. We will be staying there for two nights, for $105.  See link to hostel below:

http://www.bigralphhostal.com/

                        

On the 27th in the evening, we will fly from Salinas to Quito, and then board an overnight flight for our return to Ottawa.

It still seems like a dream, that we will be going to this beautiful place! I am working hard on learning as much Spanish as I can, and starting to plan for packing. I also need to plan for adults to do spot checks on my two girls, Erin and Sara, who will be staying at home on their own during the trip! Hope they remember to feed the dog!

I will post more soon!

So...the reality is setting in that we will be travelling to South America in a few months! Excited but somewhat tentative as well. I have never travelled outside of North America, so its a very big deal for me! We have been to a travel clinic and reviewed what vaccines and medications we should be taking. Hepatitis A and B are recommended as well as malaria medication. Main concern is with mosquitoes that carry malaria. According to our information, these mosquitoes come out in the evening. All of the hotels we are staying at have mosquito nets for the beds.  If we go out in the evening we are advised to use strong insect repellent and wear long pants and shirts. I will be interested to see how the locals deal with this problem, and whether they have any immunity to the diseased insects.
I have also started wondering about the practicalities of travelling. Mike and I want to make sure we pack as lightly as possible, because we will be changing locations often. We have been looking at Pac Safe luggage, which is resistant to theft. We are also looking at money belts and other options for keeping ID and money in a safe location when moving around. I have been wondering about what to pack for toiletries. I am not certain if the hotels and B and B places will have these items, but I do not want to pack too much from here either.
All of these specifics are making the trip more real to me, and my anticipation is growing. I am looking forward to meeting people along the way and immersing myself in the culture of Ecuador. If any of you reading the blog have travel tips, please post them in the comments!

Booked!

Well...we have booked our flights and hotels for our trip to Ecuador in January.  This has certainly made the adventure more real and exciting! Mike and I are both more engaged in talking about the trip, speculating about what it will be like, and making additional plans.
We have contacted the hosts of the places we are staying, asking some general questions about the town, transportation and activities that are in the area.  We have chosen to stay in small "hostel" style accomodations, usually owned by one person or a couple, with only a few rooms available.  This will hopefully allow us to get an idea of the local culture and the opportunities that might be available, should we choose to live there on a permanent basis.  Owners have already replied offering to assist with anything we need, including transportation and information about the local economy.
I have been focusing on learning enough Spanish to express myself and understand basic conversation.  I love learning languages, and I am already fluent in English and French.
We are hoping to visit many "mercados" during our trip.  Most every town in Ecuador has a local market where you can purchase fresh produce, fish and seafood.  I am fascinated by the bright colours and busy atmosphere of these markets and I believe they are like a microcosm of the community.  Below are pictures of the mercado in Puerto Lopez.  Credit to original photographers.  Puerto Lopez also has a boardwalk or "malecon" that extends the length of the town along the ocean shore.
We are excited to learn more about the places we are visiting, but most of all we look forward to experiencing this country first hand when we arrive there in January 2017.

             

     

What does Ecuador mean to us?

This past week, Mike and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.  This is a milestone we have been looking forward to, but only because it is associated in our minds with a trip to explore Ecuador. When friends and family asked what we were doing to celebrate, we said, "Nothing now. Going to Ecuador in a few months." In our minds this milestone has become strongly associated with a life change for us. Although we are not done being parents, and never will be, we are looking forward to launching our kids on their own lives.

I have to keep telling myself not to feel guilty about wanting to do something for us, for a change. Like most parents, we have spent the past 20 years putting our kids' needs ahead of our own needs. That is as it should be, but I have also learned that sometimes you have to put yourself first.

I feel very strongly that this trip is the start of something special and different for Mike and I. If we do move to Ecuador permanently, we can look forward to a slower pace, different work, different culture and a different community. I am keen to become fluent in Spanish, and possible teach English to the local citizens of our community. Mike is interested in learning about the customs, and especially the food in South America. He might end up growing coffee beans, or brewing beer, or running a guest house.

So what does this mean to us? A chance for adventure, new challenges and new friends.  A change of pace, a change of lifestyle, more simplicity and more time with nature.  A place where we can invite all of our friends and family to visit and enjoy the beautiful weather and the relaxing lifestyle. Maybe I am expecting too much, but I would rather reach for the moon and fall short, than never try anything new.

Where do we start?

For several years now, my husband Mike and I have been discussing the possibility of moving to Ecuador.  Currently we live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Despite being born in Canada, we are tired of the cold, hard winters and would like to spend the next stage of our lives in a moderate climate where we can enjoy the outdoors all year round.

After some initial research, we found that one of the best climates in the world is in Ecuador, South America.  Depending on where you are in the country, the temperature ranges from about 18 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius for most of the year.  In comparison, our current climate ranges from -40 degrees Celsius in winter, to 35 degrees with 99% humidity in July and August.

The second major requirement for our new place to live is affordability.  Like many North Americans, we have spent any savings we had on raising our children and getting them started in life. Research on cost of living in Ecuador revealed that it is incredibly cheap to live in this beautiful country. Visas are not difficult to get, and it is possible to work in almost any industry, if you wish to supplement your income.

We have three wonderful girls who are rapidly entering adulthood! Our oldest daughter Lea is 19 years old, and entering her 3rd year of university in September. Our youngest children, Erin and Sara, are 16 years old and will be entering their final year of high school in September. With these changes, we have come to see an opportunity for Mike and I to do something totally different from our current lifestyle.

Where do we start?

This August 3, 2016, Mike and I will have been married for 25 wonderful years.  We have been planning a trip to Ecuador to celebrate our anniversary and get to know the country we would like to call home. For us, this trip will be the beginning of our adventure.  We have spent hours on the internet learning about this country, and more hours learning basic Spanish skills.

During our trip, we will be travelling to multiple destinations along the coast of Ecuador, comparing climates, local resources, opportunities for small business or other employment, and culture. We want to live somewhere that we can become an integral part of the local community.  For us this will be primarily a fact-gathering trip, essential to planning our permanent move in about 2-3 years time.  Some of the towns we are hoping to visit include Salinas, Manta, Puerto Lopez, Canoa, Punta Blanca, Same, and more.